Many contemporary electronic devices are designed to reproduce music and/or other audio signals. These electronic devices, such as, for example, laptops, portable audio players, cell phones, or the like, typically provide for the connection of various audio-related peripheral components. Examples of these peripheral components include headphones and microphones. The electronic device may include several connectors or jacks intended to receive and electrically interconnect with a plug of an audio-related peripheral component to thereby transfer audio signals between the portable electronic device and the audio-related peripheral. The jacks and plugs are typically electrically connected to a ground reference to minimize damage to the electronic device from electrostatic discharge (ESD).
While such a ground configuration may create robust ESD performance, it can also result in a ground loop condition that introduces undesirable signals when audio signals are played. Examples of undesirable signals include electrical noise present on a power source signal, noise created by digital circuitry, or noise induced within the system by other sources of electrical interference.